Columbia, S.C., Richland Northeast five-star cornerback Gary Gray announced through a family spokesman over the weekend that he was backing off his South Carolina commitment and re-opening his recruitment to USC and Notre Dame. For the first since the decision, Gray spoke publicly to GamecockCentral.com on why he made that decision.

"It really came down to my mom and the fact that she didn't get to see Notre Dame the first time I visited because she had to work," the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Gray said. "I really wanted her to be able to see it before I made my decision, and when I found out she could go with me, we initiated another visit."

While in South Bend, the Notre Dame coaches made an impression on Gray.

"I met with coach (Charlie) Weis and coach (Bill) Lewis, the secondary coach," Gray said. "They didn't pressure me to de-commit or anything. I did that on my own."